Stay The Night
by Aninat131
Summary: It was no coincidence that Nico met Rafael and Pedro in Rio. But before they met, Nico met someone else. And when his past and broken promises finally returns to haunt him, it will strain Nico and Pedro's relationship to the limit, perhaps beyond repair.
1. Reborn

**A/N: **Anillio Natson has returned, with a new story. It's been a long time. I haven't seen much of Nico and Pedro for a while, so I thought I'd give a try at it. I'd like to thank Dinosgorawr3 and KhallieGurl, for reasons I will explain later. For now, enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter I: Reborn<strong>

_ It's not about the memories you had,_

__ it's about the memories you're going to make.__

_ Peoples' pasts will always be unfortunate, riddled with pain and suffering. _

_ But through it all, it takes just one person,_

__ one simple act of kindness, to wash away all those painful memories.__

_ And begin life anew._

* * *

><p>It started in darkness.<p>

That was the only way he ever remembered it. A throbbing pain that sucked him into an endless void. After the darkness, came only fear and confusion. Where was he? He did not know. He knew nothing about where he was, how he got there, or even who he was.

_I…am Nico._

That was all he remembered. Needless to say, it wasn't a satisfactory answer.

* * *

><p>Light streamed into his eyes, forcing him—painfully—out of the darkness. Nico gasped, the burning in his retinas matched only by the aching throb in his wings. The world was spinning, take him on an unwanted ride with it. He felt like he'd just woken from the dead. Coughing, he sat up, ignoring the pain. He clutched his left wing with his right, suddenly realizing it was bandaged. The disorientation set in hard and fast, leaving him more bewildered than he'd ever felt in his life.<p>

_Where am I? What happened?_

He tried to stand, but he ended up falling flat on his back, terrified eyes pointed at the ceiling. A soft warm light glowed overhead, and Nico found himself staring at it, his heartbeat slowly calming down after a while. The fog in his mind began to lift, ever so slowly. He was resting on something soft, like a bed.

Voices sifted through his mind, like a distant echo. He told himself to breathe, and focus. Still, he couldn't hear what the voices were saying. Some were human, some were not. Feeling just a little bit stronger now, he pushed himself to his feet, against his better judgment. He had to know where he was. When he stood up, all the blood rushed to his head, giving him a massive headache. He winced, but ignored it, looking around instead.

There were several bed-like structures, and Nico could see sleeping chicks in each. A large table with several toys carelessly spread over it stood in the corner, and the silhouette of what appeared to be a large cabinet could be seen deeper into the room. With the warm lighting and décor of the well-furnished room, he could tell where he was—an aviary nursery. It was silent, sans the light breathing of the hatchlings.

_What…am I doing here?_

He tried to remember, but his mind drew a blank. He pushed harder, but it only gave him a headache. Deciding to inspect his body instead, he realized that his wings and his head were wrapped in thin white bandages. He tugged at them, but then decided it wasn't such a good idea, so he stopped. Then, he heard something breathing close by. Turning, he saw two big brown eyes staring at him. He jerked backwards, heart thumping, before realizing it was just a chick who'd woken up.

"Whoa, you scared me!" he whispered. The chick cooed in response. It was just slightly smaller than Nico, and its green plumage had just started growing out. Nico guessed that it couldn't have been more than a week old. It stumbled forward to inspect the new visitor, but still couldn't walk properly yet, so it ended up falling on its face. Nico helped the chick up. It started rubbing its head affectionately on his chest, which caused Nico to wonder:

_Why did they put me in an aviary nursery? _He sure wasn't a chick; he remembered that much at least.

"I should probably get out of here." He didn't know why, but he felt uneasy staying there. The room however, seemed to be completely closed off. Nico stepped closer to the edge of the crib, which was barred narrowly enough that he couldn't slip out easily.

The chick let out a whimper, trying to scoot itself closer to Nico. He obliged the kid for a moment, stroking him with a bandaged wing gently. He then saw it: there was a section of the crib that was lowered slightly, short enough for him to climb over. It was still tall enough that the chick couldn't climb over, but Nico was strong enough. He hoped so, at least.

He stepped away and started hoisting himself up, using the bars as a foothold. Thankfully his wings—other than aching slightly—didn't give him too much of a problem. Halfway up though, the kid let out a whine, as if upset that he was leaving. Nico felt bad for him, but he didn't plan on spending the rest of the night wondering how he got there. He needed answers.

Despite his determination, the chick refused to take that as an answer. He started crying, shocking Nico almost enough to make him slip and fall. Before he did, he managed to clutch on to the top of the crib, barely hanging on.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry. Don't cry," he called from his dangling position. He was worried the noise might wake the other chicks up. The chick still didn't stop, and Nico started frantically looking around, to see if someone was coming. His worst fears were confirmed when the door to the room started turning. It swung open quickly, yet gently, letting in a ray of bright light. Nico squinted, and when his eyes adjusted, he saw a young lanky man in his early twenties. He took one look at the dangling canary and yelped in surprise.

Nico was paying so much attention to the things around him that he didn't even notice his wing slipping from the top of the crib until it was too late. He was falling, fast. Somehow he forgot how to fly, and dropped head-first to the ground. But before he struck it, the man dashed forward and caught him with two hands.

"Whoa! How did you get all the way up—" the man then saw it. When he did, he went a little pale.

"Geez, he's gonna have my head if he found out I forgot to close the crib…" he quickly put—more like threw—Nico back into the crib, raising the lowered portion. The frustration was getting to Nico, but the chick didn't seem to mind. He stopped crying, chirping cutely and stumbling over to Nico. The man, satisfied at the resumed silence, quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"This is your fault, you know," Nico said, glaring at the chick. He chirped, snuggling Nico and looking back at him with big innocent brown eyes. Nico sighed.

_Guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow._

* * *

><p>Morning broke slowly. In the forest, most of the birds were just starting to wake up. However, there were some that were already awake. Two of them stood in a clearing by themselves, in a secluded part of the forest.<p>

"Deeper."

The red-crested cardinal frowned; he'd been doing this for over an hour, and he still couldn't get it right. The toucan staring at him sternly didn't yield to his look though, and the cardinal sighed, taking another deep breath to start again.

"_And when I—" _he was cut short by the toucan.

"Wait. I think I see the problem here," he said, stepping forward in front of the diminutive cardinal.

"It took you an hour of listening to find out the problem?" the cardinal replied, exasperated.

"Calm down, Pedro. I know you're nervous, but—"

"Nervous? I'm not nervous! What makes you think I'm nervous?" he replied a little too quickly.

"Son, I've lived much longer than you. Rafael knows when someone is nervous." Rafael smiled.

Pedro rolled his eyes, hearing his mentor refer to himself in the third person for the umpteenth time. It was his character, he guessed. It got rather annoying after a while. Still, it was an insignificant price to pay for the incredible privilege to be tutored—mentored—by the King of Carnival.

"The performance is tonight, Rafael. A lot of people are putting their hopes on me because you trained me yourself. Of course I'm nervous!"

"So you're saying you'd be better off without me?"

"No wait, I didn't…I mean…"

Rafael laughed, placing a wing on Pedro's head.

"Don't worry, my young protégé. I know how it feels. It seemed like so long ago, though…"

Pedro snickered.

"You're getting old. Ralfy."

"That's why I'm retiring. And that's why you—" he pointed at Pedro for emphasis. "—are going to take my place as king. This old bird's going to settle down at last." He sighed blissfully, thinking of his mate. They had just declared that to the world two weeks before, and at the same time, Rafael had declared that he was going to retire from the Brazilian party scene. It had caused quite a commotion.

"So you're going to start a family?" Rafael nodded.

"How many children are you planning on having?" Pedro asked teasingly.

"Eh, maybe three. Four at most."

"Why not more? I'm sure the King of Carnival can handle more children than that."

"How many are you talking?"

"I don't know, seventeen?"

They both stared at each other for a moment, before breaking out into fits of laughter.

* * *

><p>Nico had been awake for quite some time ever since he saw the first indications of light outside the room. There were no windows, so he couldn't tell if it was day outside. Whatever he'd gotten himself into to get all those injuries, it had messed up his biological clock as well. He wished so badly for himself to remember, but so far, it wasn't working.<p>

_How did I end up here? Someone must have brought me here, but…_

The chick shifted. Nico turned to see him. He'd fallen asleep—without permission—on Nico's shoulder, murmuring happily that he was there to be his personal cushion. Nico stroked the kid on his face, feeling oddly attached. He _was _rather cute.

Nico shook his head. _I can't let myself be distracted. I need to know what happened._

The kid's eyes slowly opened. He looked up at Nico with sleepy eyes.

"I don't suppose you know what happened to me, do you?" Nico asked. The kid smiled, nuzzling him. Nico sighed.

_I guess not._

The door slowly creaked open. Nico turned to see who it was. A middle-aged pudgy man stepped in carefully, leaving the door slightly ajar as he did so. The first thing he noticed was the canary. He walked over to Nico, looking down at him with a reassuring smile.

"Hey, little guy. Are you okay?" he asked. Nico looked back wordlessly. He didn't know why, but he felt an odd feeling deep within him on hearing those words. _Little guy._ Was it pain? Or was it…anger?

While he pondered over that, the man inspected his wing, giving affirmative nods every now and then. He tapped his chin thoughtfully with a pencil.

"Well, it's looking much better now. Guess I should give you your shots since you're awake."

Nico's eyes widened. He didn't know why, but the word "shot" gave him a scare. He shuffled uncomfortably.

"Relax, it won't hurt too much," the man said, as if sensing his fear. He walked over to a cupboard nearby, fill with vials and syringes.

Nico's heart, which had become almost calm, jumped again at the sight of needles. He didn't remember everything, but he remembered being scared to death of them. At that moment, he saw something in his mind. He saw the same scene, only that the setting was different. He was sitting there, too, waiting to get a shot. He was panicking. Then, he saw a shadowy figure bend down to his level and say something that almost made him faint with panic.

"Papa!"

Nico jumped up with surprise, startled out of his jarring memory. At least, he thought it was a memory. His breathing was slightly labored after remembering it. Was he starting to remember his past? If he was, then the only thing he remembered was a nightmare.

"Papa!"

Nico finally took notice, and when he did, he was stunned. He turned his head so fast he thought it would snap. It was the chick.

"D-did you call me…?"

"Papa!" the kid beamed, proud at being able to utter his first words.

Nico didn't know how to react right then. He felt like fainting himself. This kid, who would one day grow to be at least five times his size, thought he was his father. He wasn't even old enough to _be _a father.

_I must be dreaming, that's it. This is all just a bad dream, and I'll wake up anytime now._

The man shifted slightly, and Nico saw a huge needle, almost as big as himself. He then told himself that it wasn't a dream. It was real, and it was going to hurt. He frantically looked around for an exit, and found one. The open door.

The adrenaline that ran through his veins told him that he could fly, despite the bandages. If he wanted to escape, it was now or never. But before he spread his wings, something called out to him at the back of his mind. He turned to the kid, who the whole time had just been watching and listening. He looked a little more troubled, seeing his self-proclaimed father worried.

"I need to go. I need you to stay here. Be good, okay?" It felt so weird, saying all this. He barely even knew the kid to begin with. The kid whimpered slightly. Without thinking, Nico pulled the kid in and hugged him.

"I'll come back soon, I promise." He didn't know why he said that.

The kid fell silent. Nico didn't know whether he understood, but he couldn't wait any longer. Taking a deep breath, he launched himself into the air. His wings ached instantly, but he ignored it, focusing on reaching the door. The man turned around, obviously from the sound of Nico's flapping wings. He almost dropped the syringe he was holding.

"Hey! You shouldn't be flying yet!"

Nico ignored him, flying out of the room instead.

Everything was huge. Being a canary, it was only natural everything else looked big. He stared in silence for a moment at the expanse of area around him. An open window confirmed his suspicions that it was morning. The area was rather empty. Several tables and machines were neatly arranged around the room, with another door leading outside, and a hallway at the other end. A sign, playfully made with crayons, hung over a piece of machinery Nico did not recognize. It read "OUT FOR BREAKFAST", with a smiley face drawn on the side.

Footsteps reverberated in Nico's ears, snapping him out of his thoughts. He knew the man was coming. He needed an escape route, fast. The hallway, the closed door, the window…

_The window!_

He could see the man's shadow approaching fast. He had to act fast. He landed on the windowsill and tried to squeeze through the narrow gap, but it was still too narrow. Still, he forcefully pushed himself through, but he only got half his body through before the pain became unbearable, and he stopped. Slowly, the pain and pressure grew on his back, and he gasped in pain. The thought of using his wings to push the window open was immediately rejected by his mind; he was way too small, and way too weak to even consider that. Still, when he saw the rotund figure approaching hastily, panic overruled reason, and he started pushing wildly.

Still, it was to no avail. Seconds later, he found the pressure on his back being lifted. The man had raised to window just enough to loosen the guillotine that was choking Nico. But before he had a chance to fly off, he found himself being pulled away from the window by a firm pair of hands. Thinking instinctively, he tried biting it, but the man was a professional, and Nico couldn't even get close, from the way that the man was gripping him.

"Hey, little guy, relax. Honestly, you're like a little baby. It's not going to hurt."

Nico would have felt angry and humiliated at his current predicament, but he right now he couldn't think of anything other than a man with a sadistic grin, holding an oversized needle, and plunging it repeatedly into his body as he laughed insanely.

Nico screamed.

Struggling didn't do much to help his situation either. His pleads fell on deaf ears as the man started walking back to the nursery. But then, the man stopped. Nico stopped struggling when he saw it. More rather, him.

"Papa!" The chick exclaimed, glaring indignantly at the pudgy man, completely furious that he was trying to hurt his father. Unfortunately, being a chick, he only ended up looking cute. Still, it did the job. The man, who saw the chick miraculously escape from the cage even though it shouldn't have known how to fly, loosened his grip on Nico, giving him enough time to bite the man. He yelled, letting Nico go.

_How did he…? He climbed out himself? _Nico thought. He didn't have time to think more about it though, as he deftly avoided a swipe from the man. He had nowhere to run, other than the window. The adrenaline still pumping through his system, he flew towards the gap, closing his eyes and hoping for the best. It paid off. He propelled himself through the gap in the window—just barely—out into an unknown rising morning.

He never expected that in the next few hours, his life would be changed forever, in a way he never, ever, expected.

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><p><strong>AN: **This was a story request by Dinosgorawr3. She requested a story on how "Nico and Pedro became friends." I had a long thought over it, and came up with this story. I hope you are enjoying it so far. Feel free to leave comments; they are always welcome.


	2. Requiem

**A/N: **Thanks to all who reviewed! I won't say much more; enjoy the next chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter II: Requiem<strong>

Nico panted, flying through the jungle right behind the aviary. He hadn't been thinking straight, and he still wasn't. It was bright enough out for him to see clearly, but he sure wasn't seeing anything clearly at the moment. There was just too much that had happened since he woke up.

_Where am I?_

The only things he saw were trees and the occasional startled bird. He pushed forward, trying to find someplace that wasn't surrounded by towering plants. He felt so small, so insignificant in comparison. Everything looked—felt—so foreign. The pain in his wings had long since evaporated, numbed by the pervading thoughts in his mind.

Where was he supposed to go now?

He heard a voice somewhere to his left, and he instinctively followed the sound. He felt almost drawn to it. It was no lilting tune, but it had the passion, the energy, something that he knew was necessary for someone to sing in…

_Wait, how do I know these things? _He shook his head. It didn't make any sense, but he seemed to be familiar with music. It confused him to no end.

The trees seemed to get thicker, closing in around him. Fighting the urge to turn back, he pressed on. He flapped faster, harder. The pain had become nothing but a dull ache. With a determined flap, he burst through a web of leaves and branches, into a surprisingly bright clearing. Before he could do anything else, he slammed straight into something red, around his size.

They say that it is difficult to remember exact first moment when you meet a friend whom you truly care about. For Nico and Pedro, the memory was unforgettable. That was because the first words they ever said were extremely…memorable.

"AHHH! FAT BIRD!"

They tumbled around on the ground, both flapping their wings in an attempt to get on top of the other to pin him. Rafael thought about helping them, but because the two of them were small (even though Pedro was fat), it was much more amusing to just stand by and watch.

"Who're you calling fat! Get off me!" Pedro yelled. He overpowered the canary, throwing him off. Nico landed on the ground on his back, a dazed look in his eyes. Without hesitation, Pedro had Nico pinned to the ground, a menacing wing pointing straight at Nico's throat.

"Who are you? Who sent you?" he demanded.

"W-what? I-I…"

"It was you! You moved my cheese, didn't you? I knew it! Prepare for Pedro pain!"

"No, I didn't! Help!" Nico cried out. A moment later, the weight of the fat bird was taken off him, and he found himself being lifted into the air. He came face to face with a very large toucan.

"Hi," the toucan greeted cheerily.

Nico screamed.

"Whoa, calm down, son. I'm not going to hurt you."

Nico continued screaming, struggling against his confines. Rafael sighed. He held onto Nico firmly, pulling him to his chest so he could get a better grip. Nico was hyperventilating, but Rafael held fast. Eventually he did calm down, and Rafael slowly set him on the ground. He was still shivering at the sight of the toucan that was five times bigger than him, and the cardinal that looked like he was going to murder.

"You okay there, son?"

Nico froze, unsure of what to say. Somehow, the only thing that he saw was the toucan cooking him and eating him.

"Ralfy, I thought we were supposed to be helping me?" Pedro asked, rather impatiently.

"Come on, Pedro. We can't just leave him here. We need to help him."

"But he called me fat!"

"Because you are," Rafael replied evenly. Pedro grumbled something inaudible and walked over to Nico, his eyes softening slightly.

"Hey man, what happened? You look like you almost died." Rafael stepped over and slapped him in the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for!"

"For being an idiot."

Nico looked up now, at the very odd couple. If anything, their antics did calm him a little. The two didn't look like they were going to hurt him. He still had his doubts, but he decided that if anyone could help him, they could.

"Um…I'm Nico. Sorry about that. I was running from someone at the aviary."

"The aviary? What were you doing there?"

"I…don't know."

"How did you get all those bandages?"

"I…don't know."

"You don't know? Do you have, like, amnesia or something?" Rafael asked.

"Or did you lose your memory?" Pedro asked.

"That's the same thing!" Rafael said, exasperated.

"I think I did. I…can't remember anything. Where I came from, who I am…"

"But you remember your name," Pedro pointed out. Nico shook his head.

"That's all I remember. I just don't remember anything else." He frowned, looking down at the ground. It was extremely frustrating, being unable to remember anything at all. He wished someone would smack him hard enough for him to remember everything.

…_On second thought, that's not such a good idea._

"Well anyway, my name is Rafael. Nice to meet you, Nico." Rafael smiled.

"He's the King of Carnival," Pedro whispered, motioning with his eyebrows.

"Carnival?" Nico asked, genuinely confused. "What's that?"

If Pedro's mouth could have touched the floor, it would have. The words were the equivalent of heresy, of the highest degree. How could someone be in Rio de Janeiro and not know about Carnival? It was unheard of.

Nico didn't know what he had said, but it was apparently enough to spark a catalytic reaction within Pedro. Brows furrowed, he started marching straight towards Nico, with a look that was definitely not happy. The small canary started backing away slowly. But before Pedro could unleash the full force of his 'Pedro pain', Rafael intervened, much to Nico's relief.

"Pedro, you should at least introduce yourself to him before you threaten him…" Pedro sighed in response.

"Well that's just great, isn't it?" Pedro asked sarcastically, throwing his wings up into the air. Nico, who saw the wing coming towards him, yelped in terror and fell backwards, covering his head with his wings. He was almost literally a curled up yellow ball on the ground.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Pedro asked, startled. Nico removed his wings from his head, but was his eyes were still filled with terror. He felt himself short of breath. His muscles seized up, freezing him on the spot. Everything started blurring, before fading to black.

And then suddenly, he was living it all again.

_Rain came down heavily, pelting the ground with heavy droplets. There was a flash of lightning, illuminating the battered container for a moment. Frightened eyes darted back and forth around the room, fearing for their lives. The container shook, seemingly teetering on the edge of something. There was another flash of lightning, and roar of thunder. This time, a violent force smashed into the container, sending everything tumbling down. Nico looked forward, although he saw nothing. He body burned, after being thrown around like a rag doll. Lightning flashed again. This time, when the container illuminated, Nico saw a huge metal box flying towards him. The last thing he felt before the world collapsed on him, was an immense, burning pain in the back of his head._

"I…I…" Nico panted, feeling his throat tightening.

Rafael, who had been watching patiently at this point, suddenly had a revelation. He wondered if his theory was correct. He stepped over to Nico, and placed a wing above Nico's head. Nico screamed like a little girl, clutching his head tighter.

"I knew it."

"What?" Pedro asked, stifling a laugh. It didn't work. Hearing Nico scream like a little girl was hilarious.

"He's probably traumatized. Something probably hit him on the head, hard, which kinda explains the bandage. That's probably why he lost his memory too." With the gentlest of motions, Rafael picked up the shivering canary with his wings.

"What're you going to do?"

"I'm going to see whether Eva can help him."

"Eva? You mean your mate?"

"Yeah. Her family seems to know all about this stuff. I'll see what she can do to help Nico. In the meantime, you should just stay here and practice."

"Wait, you're leaving now? What about that problem you were going to tell me?" he replied incredulously.

"Don't worry Pedro. I'll tell you about it later."

"But Rafael! I need you to be here with me! I can't do this alo—" Rafael cut him off, putting a wing on Pedro's shoulder, while cradling Nico with the other.

"Pedro, you are ready. I'd bet my beak on it."

Somehow, the words did little to reassure Pedro.

* * *

><p>"Tell me about it later, my foot," Pedro grumbled to himself. He kicked a leaf off the tree branch he was walking on. Nico walked cautiously behind. Pedro had to resist the urge to look back, glare at him and proclaim 'This is all your fault'. Rafael had managed to remove the bandages that covered Nico's body, but it had taken him and Eva the whole of two hours. Two hours that could have been used to help Pedro fix what Rafael described as a major problem.<p>

"Pedro?"

Pedro breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down. His nerves were rattled, and he felt like he was going to implode from the stress.

"I'm sorry that you couldn't spend more time with Rafael. I mean—"

"It's okay," Pedro interjected, a little too quickly.

"Really, thanks for taking your time to find me some breakfast. I appreciate it."

Pedro nodded silently, still looking forward. His mind was still preoccupied with the competition. There was a short silence as they walked on alone. Then, Nico's small voice piped up again.

"Eva told me that canaries aren't native to Rio, Pedro. Where…where do you think I came from?" he said uneasily.

Pedro fell silent, listening to the sentence and mulling over the words. He thought about how hard it must be for the little canary. Lost, in a land he'd never known, and with no memories to fall back on. Most people would have just given up right there and then, but he was still trying his best to be cordial. A little part of Pedro admired him for that. He stopped walking, standing in front of an impressive orange tree. Turning, he faced Nico with softened eyes.

"Hey man, relax. I'm sure you'll remember eventually. Whatever it is, you're here in Rio, the best place in the whole world. And I'm going to make sure you enjoy it. This is the place where you shake your tail feathers. You need to have more confidence, you know what I'm saying?" Pedro grinned. Nico couldn't help it; he started grinning as well.

Pedro motioned upwards. Curious, Nico looked up, and gasped. A plentitude of oranges hung from the tree's branches. There were so many that he could even begin to count them all. The whole area around them was a tropical fruit paradise. Beyond the branches, he could see other trees, with other strange fruits he'd never seen before.

"Wow…" that was the only thing he said after a good two minutes. Pedro smiled knowingly. _This _was why he loved Rio. It had some of the best fruits in the world, which somewhat accounted for his large belly. Sneaking some human food here and there helped, too.

Nico's eyes were like saucers. He flew up to a low-lying branch and reached out slowly for an orange as big as himself. But before he could get there, he was stopped by Pedro's wing. He turned indignantly towards him, at having been interrupted from wonderful dreams of him and his orange.

"Slow down there, Nico. You don't want that."

"Why not? It looks good, I'm hungry, and it's there…" he looked longingly at it. Pedro laughed, like an older brother laughing at the naiveté of his younger sibling.

"This orange is sour. It's not ripe yet. Eat it and you'll probably get a nasty stomachache. Trust me, I've tried." He patted his rotund belly for emphasis.

Nico didn't look convinced, glancing back at the orange, which in all honesty didn't look like it could give him a stomachache. Pedro grabbed him by the wing and tugged him gently.

"Come on, I'll show ya how to choose the good ones. Usually the macaws get here before I do and take the best ones, but I guess they're napping today. Or maybe they got taken by poachers." He laughed.

Nico stared at him.

"I'm just kidding! I'm a nice guy, man. Honest."

Nico continued staring at him.

"Do you want breakfast or not?" he asked impatiently. Nico snapped out of his stare and nodded eagerly. Pedro huffed and flew past Nico, glancing left and right at the multitude of oranges. Occasionally he would stop and prod one with his wing, shake his head, and move on. Nico watched intently from his branch, seeing the little fat red dot circling around the tree several times. Finally, on his third round, there was a shout of triumph.

"Hey! I got one!" Nico flew towards him. He was trying to yank the orange free from its appendage, but it wasn't cooperating. Grunting and straining did little to help too. Cheesed off at being unable to win a fruit, he flew high up before letting his body fall with the aid of gravity. When he was at maximum velocity, he dropped like a rock past the orange, but not before grabbing it with his wings. The branch bent a good way downwards, but still it didn't break. Nico flew above the branch, wondering what Pedro was doing.

"Curse you orange!" Pedro yelled.

It was a very bad idea.

As if life was there to mock Nico, the orange broke off its appendage at that precise moment, causing the branch to suddenly whiplash upwards, hitting Nico square in chest with a sickening smack. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was Pedro's frantic shouts.

Nico saw…light. It wasn't darkness anymore. It was a blinding flash of light that hurt him. He tried shielding his eyes, but it was just too strong. He heard someone calling him. A playful, childish voice was calling out to him. He squinted, and slowly, things came into focus. He saw other birds, but he could only hear them and see their silhouettes. The playful voice called out to him again. He turned to see who it was.

And at once, everything came crashing down like a tidal wave.

He remembered.


	3. Remiss

**A/N: **I'd like to thank my reviewers: Mildirk, ILOVENICO1000X, PrarieRose1017, NicoXChiku says Cata, Glampyra, and holospartoi258-zyphyr01 (I especially liked your review) for their reviews.

Enjoy the third chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Remiss<strong>

Nico saw…light. It wasn't darkness anymore. It was a blinding flash of light that hurt him. He tried shielding his eyes, but it was just too strong. He heard someone calling him. A playful, childish voice was calling out to him. He squinted, and slowly, things came into focus. He saw other birds, but he could only hear them and see their silhouettes. The playful voice called out to him again. He turned to see who it was.

And at once, everything came crashing down like a tidal wave. He remembered.

"_Nico, I'm waiting for you!" _the voice said.

"_Hold on!" Nico said, laughing._

"_Nico, come back! Where are you going?" the voice asked._

"_I…" _Nico stopped. He recognized the voice. It was so familiar…and yet, so far away. He just couldn't seem to remember exactly who it was. Everything else was clear, except for him. It was a male voice, somewhat young. He was so close to figuring it out…

"Nico, hey man, you there?"

Nico bolted upright—and slammed right into Pedro's face again. He yelped, and the two of them went tumbling across the grassy forest floor. Pedro wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. He grabbed Nico forcefully and pinned him to the ground, before Nico couldn't even react. That was when he noticed the glazed look in Nico's face.

"What, your freaking session ended already?" Pedro quipped sarcastically.

"Pedro…I…I remembered something…" Nico said hollowly.

"You remember? You mean where you came from? Where?"

"I…don't know. I saw a place. I…it…my family…and, humans…" he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Poachers?"

Nico shook his head, a mixture of worry and relief.

"No, it was…like a pet shop. I think it was, I…don't know. I think they're safe." He added with a whisper: "I think they're looking for me."

There was a moment of silence between the two. Pedro because he wasn't sure what to say. Nico because he was contemplating whether to tell Pedro about the voice he heard. The one that was familiar, but he couldn't recognize. Somehow, he had an odd, disturbing feeling in his gut. There was no reason whatsoever, but he had a feeling that whoever had that voice was going to be a problem sometime in the future.

He had no idea.

"So what're you going to do, Nico?" Pedro finally asked, breaking the silence.

"I need to find them. I need to—" he tried standing up, but he found nothing to support himself. He lost his balance and fell onto his knees, gasping slightly. Pedro grabbed him by the wing, keeping him from falling over.

"No you're not. Geez, Rafael would kill me if I let you go off like that," he grumbled. He firmly sat Nico on the ground and let him lean against the base of the orange tree that whipped him. Pedro pushed the peeled orange in front of Nico.

"Here, eat this. I've got enough to worry about without having you die on me…" he grumbled.

Nico stared at the near-perfectly peeled orange. All things considered, it would have taken Pedro a considerable amount of time to peel it.

_He spent this entire time caring for me? _Nico felt a mix of shock, surprise, gratitude, and guilt. From the way Pedro had been reacting to him so far, it didn't seem likely that he would do such a thing.

Pedro sighed while taking a step back, his eyes slowly closing in a futile effort to free himself from the chains of fear that bound him. He knew better. He knew he needed the practice, but he decided to help the canary instead. It was stupid of him, and he berated himself as much as he could without screaming.

_I just wasted two hours worrying about him. How am I supposed to get enough practice now? The competition's starting in an hour, and I haven't even prepared yet!_

The more he thought about it, the more he felt nervous. His throat tightened, preventing any words from flowing. He tried taking deep breaths, but it only served to amplify the panic that flowed through his system like poison. He was trembling, even though it was an extremely warm day out.

_Less than an hour. I need to hurry._

Pedro wasn't the best estimator of time, but he could feel the minutes tick away. Birds passed by, most of them recognizing him and asking what he was going to perform. Pedro would just smile and act as cool as possible, even though he was blowing up in fear inside. He felt his time—and his chances—slipping away with every second.

Nico suddenly felt horrible. The orange that was supposed to taste sweet tasted sour in his mouth. He'd just caused Pedro to lose a total of more than 4 hours of his time. The massive headache didn't help, either. He'd foolishly let himself fly above the branch and caused himself to stupidly get hit.

_Pedro must probably hate me now…_

Even if that was what Pedro was feeling, he made no indication to show it, which made Nico feel even worse. He watched as Pedro hopped around, trying to execute a spin, and he listened as Pedro sung the words to the song. Somehow, Nico felt something deep within him rise, something he thought he never had. Whatever the strange emotions he felt, something inside him burned, like a freshly torn open wound. But this time, it didn't hurt. No, the burn was one of passion. He didn't know why, but he found himself closing his eyes.

"_Yeah! If this is what we've got…" _Pedro sang, trying to execute a dance move. He paused, sighing. He just couldn't seem to get it right. He so desperately wanted to just give up right now, to just—

"_We're shining by and I want you, I want you to know—" _Pedro paused. That was his song! But he wasn't singing. And whoever was singing it was singing brilliantly. It had something he wanted, something he lacked. The melodious tone he didn't have. He snapped his head backwards, and saw Nico, eyes closed, wingtips gently pressed together, letting each word flow from his lips perfectly.

"N-Nico? You sing?" he asked, bewildered. Nico stopped singing and slowly opened his eyes, looking a little out of it. He hadn't expected himself to start singing either.

"I…uh…I think so," he replied, still glassy-eyed.

_Brilliant. He can't even remember who he is, and he can sing better than me, _Pedro thought, depressed. At that moment, he felt like the world really, really hated him. He slumped to the ground dejectedly. There wasn't any point going anymore.

Pedro's reaction was not what Nico expected. He quickly walked over to Pedro's side, trying to make eye contact with the cardinal, who really didn't seem to want it.

"Pedro, what are you doing? The competition's starting soon. Why aren't you going?"

"Because it's over, okay? I can't do this."

"But you have to! Everybody's counting on you to be there!" Nico grabbed Pedro's wing, trying to pull him up. Unfortunately he lacked the upper body strength to do it.

Pedro shook his head, unmoving. The guilt was creeping up Nico's back with every passing second. He had to help him somehow. Pedro had taken precious time out of his training to help Nico, something Nico found completely selfless. He'd been there to cheer Nico up when he was down, and he was there to make sure he was alright when he was hurt. He had to return the favor, at the very least. With a newfound determination, he grabbed Pedro's wing firmly, with a look in his eye that meant he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

* * *

><p>"He's going to be late."<p>

"He's not," Rafael replied coolly. He stood beside a large hornbill, who was impatiently pacing around the club.

"Ralfy, the kid isn't ready for this. I really think you could've trained someone better. I mean—"

"He's ready," Rafael interjected. "He'll do fine, trust me." He smiled with assurance. The hornbill, still skeptical, turned and headed back into the growing crowd of birds, who were chattering and chirping excitedly in anticipation of the competition.

_He'd better be ready, _Rafael thought. A bird onstage motioned towards him, indicating that it was time. The samba scene had been waiting for this moment for weeks, and Rafael was going to make sure he pulled his final act with aplomb. Flying onstage, he puffed out his chest and looked over the sea of birds. One by one, they stopped whatever they were doing to see their king onstage.

"Hey everybody! It is my pleasure to welcome you to the new club. As you all know, we've moved here after seven long years at 'Paradise'. This place has been lovingly put together by our fellow birds here, so let's show them our appreciation!" The crowd burst into cheers and screams.

Rafael continued.

"As has always been the tradition, the winner of tonight's competition will be the new King of Carnival, and will have the honor of naming this new club. I wish all participants the best, and remember, the winner is decided by all of you." He gestured to the crowd, who burst into another round of cheers. He then stepped down from the stage and stood aside as the first participant took his place.

_Pedro…_

One by one, the contestants performed, each receiving a thunderous roar of applause. The crowd was on fire, dancing to the beat of the music. Most actually forgot that there was a competition in the first place, instead just enjoying the atmosphere of the place. Rafael wanted to as well, but he couldn't; not when Pedro wasn't there.

"Patience, Rafael," he mumbled. "Patience."

But even his patience had its limits. About half an hour had passed, and there was no sign of the fat cardinal, or of the canary. Rafael had told Pedro to bring Nico along with him when he came, but now it looked like he'd backed out of the competition. Or was it something else?

His thoughts were interrupted when the crowd cheered in jubilation once again. That was the final contestant before Pedro. The stage was empty now. Rafael was prepared for the worst, but then, the tarp that was the club's makeshift roof started flapping. Some looked up; others were already too drunk to care. Rafael almost jumped in shock when Pedro and Nico literally crashed through the tarp, tearing a hole in it. They landed right in the middle of the stage, bringing silence to the entire club.

Pedro's heart had almost jumped out of his mouth at their violent entry. He thought it could've have gotten any worse than that. It did. A few hundred pairs of eyes stared at him from below the platform he was on. Spotlights glared in his direction, as if angry at the intrusion. If ever there was a time to die, this would be it, he thought.

"Come on Pedro, you can do this," Nico whispered. Pedro nodded hollowly. He faced the crowd, raising a wing. They erupted into spontaneous applause. Pedro was frozen stiff. He couldn't move; he couldn't breathe. He just wished it would end right then and there. The crowd stared at him expectantly. He knew what they were waiting for. He knew what he had to do. But he just couldn't.

He couldn't.

But before he could back out, he felt a firm wing being wrapped around his own. He turned. Nico, who looked calmer than he actually was, was looking reassuringly at him. He smiled.

"Pedro, look at me," he said. Pedro's mouth dropped.

"No! Not like that!" Nico yelled. He regained his composure. "I've heard you sing, Pedro. I know you're going to do great. Remember what you said? You need to have confidence; shake your tail feathers, right?"

Pedro didn't respond, still stunned.

"Do this for me, okay? I trust you."

Pedro didn't know what to say. Here was someone he barely knew for more than a few hours, but that person trusted him with all his heart. Any doubts he had about his trust instantly vanished when he saw the resolve in his eyes. His nerves were still on end, but he managed to find the strength to move his hands, and smile. He realized Nico was right. He was going to do this.

He was going to do this.

…but he told himself he wasn't going to do it alone.

"Nico, I want you to sing with me."

"But this is your—"

"No. I still want you to. We're friends, right?"

Nico was at a loss for words. A friend? Pedro considered him a friend? After all the trouble that he'd caused him…Nico shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. Now was not the time to start second-guessing himself. A small smile crossed his lips.

"Yeah, we are."

* * *

><p>The crowd was deathly silent. Nobody made a sound as Pedro and Nico sang the last word of the song in unison. When it finally ended, and the music faded away to signal its end, Pedro and Nico stood, gasping slightly while looking over the stunned faces of the club. Unease began to set in slowly. But then, there was a ripple. It started with one, then two…then suddenly, the whole crowd burst into the loudest cheer that was heard that entire evening.<p>

"I think…the _winners _have been decided." Shocked, they both turned, to see the King of Carnival smiling down at them.

"Ralfy…" They said softly.

"You were spectacular. Both of you. You both deserve to win this."

"But Rafael, this was supposed to be a solo competition. It's not fair that I…" Nico trailed off, suddenly remembering that important fact. Rafael contemplated his options, closing his eyes as he did so. Pedro and Nico exchanged uneasy glances. The rules were rules. Tradition demanded it, and they had no right to change it in any way.

Finally, Rafael opened his eyes, with a new glint in them. He had an idea.

"You're right. The title of 'King of Carnival' is reserved for an _individual._ If that is the case, then I guess I'll have to retain the title myself. But the two of you…can be the Kings of Samba. From the way both of you performed, I don't think anyone else has any problem with that." As if they heard Rafael, the crowd cheered in agreement.

"Kings…of Samba?"

Rafael nodded, smiling.

"Um…I'm not really sure about this. I don't—" the crowd cut him off, drowning his voice away with roars and chants of their names.

"Nico! Pedro! Nico! Pedro!"

They exchanged looks, Nico with a sheepish grin on his face. Nodding to each other, they stepped forward and raised their wings in unison, to accept their new title. Everybody applauded. Rafael stepped forward and put a wing on their shoulders.

"Now, it's time for you to decide on the new name of the club. The honor belongs to the two of you. Traditionally, the winner would name it after an important point in their life, where something special happened to them."

Nico and Pedro simultaneously faced each other, both of them having a knowing grin plastered on their face. They were thinking of the same thing, the same moment where it changed their lives forever. When Nico was hit by that fateful orange branch, he remembered. And because he remembered, they were standing together now, side by side.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Nico asked.

"Yeah. Let's call it 'The Orange!'"

Silence filled the air. The proverbial cricket chirped in the background.

"What about 'The Branch'?" Nico offered.

"Yeah, that works!"

It was unanimous. The crowd seemed to like it as well. With a resounding beat of the drums, the music blared to life, and the partying started, to celebrate the grand opening of The Branch.

* * *

><p>"Did you see the look on your face?" Pedro said, having difficulty trying to complete a sentence. Nico couldn't even start one. They laughed like it was no one's business, even though it was practically midnight in Rio. They were standing in the same deserted clearing where they first met. Rafael was with them, and he was trying to pry open a bottle of soda that was given to them as a prize—one of many. Considering the bottle was twice their height, it was a pretty good gift.<p>

"Hey guys, relax. You haven't even drank yet and you're both acting like you've had one too many," Rafael chuckled. Nico and Pedro flew over to him as he finally pried the cap off the bottle.

"Hey, come on, Rafael. We did it! We should celebrate, man!"

Rafael chuckled again.

"Yes, you both did spectacularly. I didn't expect Nico to do what he did, though. How did you learn to sing so well?"

"Duh, Rafael. He's a _canary_. Canaries always sing well!" Pedro said.

"I…don't really remember," Nico said. "I think it's something I used to do in my past." At the mention of 'past', an uneasy silence fell over the group. They knew the question was coming.

"So what are your plans now, Nico?" Rafael asked.

"Way to kill the mood, Ralfy," Pedro said, glaring at the toucan. Nico however didn't seem to mind. He felt different now. He was different now. Life had dealt him a new hand, and he was going to make the best of it. He didn't have his family with him, but Pedro and Rafael were his new family.

"I don't really know. I still can't remember everything to do with my life before this. I'd really love to know what my life was like before…but right now, it's okay. I'm happy, and I've decided to stay," he declared with a broad smile. Pedro and Rafael cheered.

"That's my boy," Rafael said proudly.

"That's the spirit, man! You can stay at my place then. Well, I haven't cleaned it out in years, but still…" Pedro grinned sheepishly. Nico baulked. Rafael just sighed.

"Alright! It's inebriation time!" Pedro yelled.

"You can get drunk from soda?" Nico questioned. Rafael shrugged his shoulders, while Pedro tilted the bottle towards himself, trying to get the first drop.

"Pedro, I think you should slow down. You're going to spill it," Rafael advised. Typically, Pedro ignored him, and tried lowering it even more. Rafael groaned and started counting to 3.

_One…_

The bottle came close to the ground. The liquid in the bottle sloshed around, moving towards the nozzle. Suddenly, the bottle became very heavy, and Pedro struggled to hold it up.

_Two…_

Struggling to compensate, Pedro lowered his body to get a better grip on the neck of the bottle. It held itself in position, but he wasn't anywhere near pushing it back up.

"Aren't you going to help him?" Nico asked.

"Three," Rafael declared. At that moment, Pedro's wing slipped, and the bottle hit the ground, its contents splashing out and dousing Pedro in bubbly liquid. He stumbled backwards, unable to see. Nico ran forward, trying to help. But as if it was staged for some cheap comedy, Pedro tripped over a rock and lost his balance completely. Nico, who was running, couldn't stop himself in time, and hit Pedro's back as he fell. Pedro's fat body landed right on Nico.

"Pedro!" Nico called from below him. "Too…fat. Can't…breathe!"

"Nico? Where are you, buddy?"

"Below your big, fat, butt."

Pedro stood up, turned around, and saw an unhurt, but visibly dazed Nico. He was gasping for air, a little too dramatically, Pedro thought. He extended a wing towards Nico, but paused when Nico flinched. His eyes were starting to look glazed again, but he snapped out of it after a beat.

"You okay, Nico?" Pedro asked, worried.

"I…I'm fine. Sorry, I guess I'm still a little…" he trailed off quietly. Pedro nodded understandingly.

"Don't worry, man. We'll be sure to fix you right up tomorrow."

"Fix me up?" Nico inquired.

"We need to fix that head of yours," Pedro commented, pointing at Nico's head.

"My head?"

"Yeah. You have that problem with people putting their wings in your face. You know, like this." He shot his wing towards Nico, who yelped and fell backwards onto the ground, covering his face with his wings. Pedro laughed, until Rafael slapped him again in the back of his head. Then he laughed even harder.

"We should get you a helmet," Rafael joked, helping Nico up back onto his feet. Nico brushed the dirt off his body, while Pedro continued laughing insanely on the ground. At the mention of a helmet, he laughed even harder.

Nico glared, and was about to go over and give him a piece of his mind, but halted when his foot hit something hard and metallic with an audible clink. Looking down, he saw the bottle cap that Rafael pried off the bottle of soda. He picked it up. Moonlight reflected off its smooth surface.

"Hey, that works," Rafael called from behind Nico. He turned.

"What?"

"That bottle cap looks like it would fit you. Why don't you try it on?"

Nico was skeptical, but shrugged, putting it on anyway. It was cold to the touch, but it fit quite nicely.

"And there you go," Rafael said nonchalantly. "There's your helmet."

Nico assumed he was joking, but after Pedro recovered, he inspected it seriously. Well, as serious as Pedro could get, anyway. He spun the bottle cap on Nico's head, nodding approvingly.

"Nice," he finally said. "Makes you look cool. And cool is good."

"Wait, you actually think I should wear this thing like a cap?" Nico asked incredulously.

"Sure, why not? It's a bottle_ cap_, right?"

Both Nico and Rafael rolled their eyes simultaneously, both thinking the same thing. Pedro frowned.

"Hey, don't blame me. I'm a party bird, not a joker."

"That you are," Rafael said, smirking for some reason.

"And it's the same for Nico here," Pedro said, putting a wing around Nico's shoulder.

"I'm not _that _lame…" Nico muttered.

"In any case, you're a singer, that's for sure. And we're friends." He turned to Nico. "Right?"

Nico shook his head.

"No, we're not friends. We're brothers."

From the looks on both Rafael and Pedro's face, Nico could tell that they complied. Soaked as he was, with his feathers clumping to his own body, Pedro returned the sincere smile with his own. They both knew that each other meant it.

Nico had to laugh when he thought about it. He'd woken up not even 24 hours ago, and found himself thrust in the strangest of circumstances. He'd found himself escaping an aviary, getting knocked out by a branch, and the strangest thing of all, entering—and winning—a singing competition. He'd never imagined his life was going to turn out like this.

He didn't remember his past. He didn't know whether he had a better or worse life before this. He used to worry about it, but now, not so much. This was his life now, and he was going to make sure he enjoyed it to the best of his ability. Out of everything that happened, Rafael and Pedro were there to help him out. Now, they were asking him to stay, to live a new life. Could he really do this?

…_Yes, I can. _He looked at Pedro, a wide smile on his face.

"So what do you want to do first, Nico?" Pedro asked. At that moment, something clicked in Nico's head. He remembered something else. Something extremely important. Nico looked back at him, a determined look in his eyes.

"I have a promise to keep."

* * *

><p>Dark silence. That was how Nico would have described it. By day, the aviary was bustling with life and action. But by night, a dark silence would envelop the entire area, like something out of a ghost story. That was what Nico felt, anyway. But he wasn't here at the aviary for ghosts.<p>

He was here for him.

"_I'll come back, I promise." _That was what he said. And he was going to keep it. He actually felt a little happy at going back. He didn't know why; maybe it was because he actually liked the chick. He smiled inwardly at the potential reaction the chick would have when he saw him.

"Nico, we shouldn't be here…" Pedro whispered.

"Relax, we're just going to bring him out, and then we'll be gone."

"That had better be it. The place is really creeping me out, man."

Nico didn't respond, but he had to agree. Under normal circumstances, this would be one of the last places he would come to. But the chick's smiling face was enough to change his mind.

They flew through the open window—the same one Nico flew out that same morning—and scanned the area. It was deserted, with only the light coming from the overhead lamp allowing them to see the room. Nico flew over to the door that led to the nursery. It was closed, but he suspected it wasn't locked.

"Gimme a hand with this, Pedro. I need to open this door." If it could have, Pedro's beak would have hit the floor.

"Are you crazy, Nico? We're breaking and entering, and kidnapping?"

"I know, but I need to see him. He's…he's my son." Nico almost couldn't believe he actually said that.

Pedro didn't question him any further. Nodding, he helped Nico pull down on the handle of the doorknob with his weight, until they heard a click. Without them even pushing, the door slowly opened, leading into the same room Nico woke up that morning. He immediately flew over to the crib where he last remembered the chick being. He expected to hear a cry of "Papa!" the moment he went in. But when he landed, it was silent. It took him a while, but he realized that the chick wasn't there.

He wasn't there.

"Nico?" Pedro asked uneasily. Nico didn't move, staring at the exact spot where he was supposed to be.

"He was here, Pedro. He was here. I know he was."

"Maybe they moved him somewhere else," Pedro offered. True enough, some of the other cribs were empty, indicating that the chicks had been moved.

"Then we have to find him," Nico said resolutely.

Three hours passed. As much as possible, they searched the entire aviary. From the treatment rooms, to the resting rooms, to even the cafeteria, there was no sign of Nico's son. There were many other birds and chicks, but none of them were who Nico was looking for. Finally, with tired wings and eyes, they landed back in the same empty crib that they were in before they started their search. Nico looked distraught, and Pedro put a wing around Nico in an attempt to comfort him.

"I'm sorry, Nico."

Nico didn't want to believe it. He refused to accept it. He couldn't be gone. But as much as he didn't want to believe it, it was a fact that they were unable to find him.

"Who are you?" A voice abruptly called out, making both Nico and Pedro jump. Nico's bottle cap fell off and landed softly on the bed. Turning, they both saw a small scarlet macaw staring curiously at them from the opposite crib. He was also a chick, but seemingly older than the rest of the chicks in the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We didn't want to disturb you." Nico motioned to Pedro. "I think we should leave."

"I've seen you before," the chick said as abruptly as before, cocking his head to the side. Nico looked back at him, surprised for a moment, then suddenly remembering that he could have seen him the night before.

Pedro started: "But how—"

"Um…" Nico cut in suddenly. "Do you know what happened to the chick that was with me?"

The kid pondered over it for a moment.

"I think they took him away. They took him and some others away." He looked rather sad. "Said that they wanted to take them far away, like…um…I kinda forgot what they called it…"

But by that time, Nico had stopped paying attention. It was as if someone had slapped him in the face and laughed.

_No…it can't be. _And yet, it was. It was over. There was no way that Nico could find him all by himself, especially if they sent him to a pet store to be sold as a pet. He could be anywhere in Rio, or worse, in another country. Dejectedly, Nico looked down, and saw himself. His reflection in his fallen bottle cap mocked him. He picked it back up and set it on his head.

"Thanks," Nico mumbled to the chick as he turned to leave.

"You look sad," the chick said.

"I'm okay." Nico turned one last time to smile at the scarlet macaw chick.

"You sure, Nico?" Pedro asked, uncertain.

"I'm sure." Nico wasn't really sure. Even though he knew it was over, there was still that small chance that he could see him again. Someday, somehow, it could happen, and Nico wasn't going to give up until it did.

He had a promise to keep.

* * *

><p>The chick jolted upright. He blinked, looking around his cage, and then beyond, to the interior of the van they put him and some others in. The van rumbled on smoothly, while the rest of the chicks slept quietly. Disappointed, he rested against the thin mattress that lined the bottom of the cage, his eyes refusing to close again.<p>

_Papa…_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** It was supposed to end here. But after much thought, I decided to continue this story. I also liked the interactions between Nico and the chick, and I want to develop a deeper relationship between them. Obviously, Nico couldn't have found the chick, or there would be a paradox in time, since he wasn't mentioned in the movie. He will return though, but as to what happens when he does return, that's up to you to dream about...for now.

A special thanks goes to KhallieGurl for letting me use 'The Branch' in this fic. I always wondered how it got its name, and I hope this was a reasonable possibility. :P

With that, I'll see you soon.


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